As we previously reported, the production company is embroiled in a messy lawsuit with the Hollywood actor.
The Professor and the Mad Man is an unreleased movie based on the first version of the Oxford English Dictionary that was partly produced by Voltage, starred Mel Gibson and was directed by Farhad Safinia.
Gibson alleges that Voltage reneged on their agreement that he would get approval on the final cut of the movie by not allowing Safinia to complete his cut. Safinia is also suing Voltage for copyright infringement and defamation, claiming he was thrown off the project.
This debacle has been rumbling on for a few months and Voltage had kept quiet. Until now. Their CEO has hit back claiming that Gibson and Safinia had demanded an extra $2.5M to shoot at Oxford University, even though the movie was already over budget.
Nicolas Chartier says an agreement was made to shoot at Trinity College in Dublin instead, presumably for less money, but Gibson and Safinia refused at the last minute. He also says that it was agreed that the movie would have a two-hour running time but Safinia’s cut was 2 hours 40 minutes and “everyone” agreed that “it was not a strong cut of the picture.” Ouch.
Safinia is seeking to impound and destroy Voltage’s cut of the movie or at least not have it distributed. Voltage claims this would cost them their $25M investment and damage their relationship with distributors. The case is ongoing.
In short, the whole thing is a complete mess. Will The Professor and the Mad Man ever see the light of day? Impossible to say at this point.
Via: Variety
